Chocolate Velvet

Funny how I can track the course of my entire childhood with memories of dessert.

There were the classic chocolate chip cookies my mom used to make all the time. I was never far away when she did (otherwise who was going to lick the bowl?).

There was the cake my sister and I tried to bake for my Dad’s birthday one year. When the layers started to slip and slide and no amount of frosting would glue it together, we stuck tootsie pops into the cake in an effort to hold it together. It wasn’t pretty, but boy did it taste good.

I remember my favorite cheesecake that I loved so much. The one with the chocolate swirls and the cookie crust. The recipe came to us randomly in a pile of junk mail.

I remember tackling, so bravely at the age of 10, complicated sugar candies like lollipops and salt water taffy. Yet why am I faced with a fear of cooked sugar now when back then I was completely fearless? Go figure.

And then there was La Cocina. Or LaCo as the locals called it. One of the best restaurants in our little town. It was always a special treat to go to LaCo, where you could feast on the Smiley Face platter (a plate of baked beans with a cheesy grin) and endless chips and salsa. But that’s not the reason I was always so excited to go there.

No.

The real reason was dessert.

Suitably dubbed Chocolate Velvet, the dessert was as light and airy as a chocolate cloud. It was like chocolate mousse – but so much more. Served in a towering slice like the best piece of chocolate cake you’ve ever had, and dusted with fine chocolate cookie crumbs that stuck to your chin.

Needless to say, when La Cocina shut its doors, I was crushed. The prospect of no more chocolate velvet was more than my chocolate-filled mind could handle.

I never forgot about that dessert, and often discussed the urgent matter of the recipe with my mom. She had, at one point, acquired a copy of what was apparently the secret recipe, but the cryptic instructions were so baffling that I had never attempted it before. Finally, after a decade-long velvet void I couldn’t wait any longer.

Once I figured out that the egg whites were best folded into the chocolate mixture and not the plain cookie crumbs, and that the dark-as-night chocolate color I remember was most likely from cookie crumbs folded into the mousse (though that part was missing from the overly abbreviated recipe), the dessert came together just as I remember.

I chose to serve the dessert in mini shot glasses – because, what’s not to like about mini shot glasses? But you could certainly layer the mousse in a 9×9 baking dish instead, and slice it into (larger-than-shot-glass-size) portions for serving. That’s your call.

Directions:

In a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over (but not touching) a pot of gently simmering water, combine chocolate with sugar and water and stir until melted and smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly ladle about half of hot chocolate mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time, whisking constantly. This will temper the egg yolks instead of cooking them. Return mixture to double boiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat, stir in Cointreau, and let cool to lukewarm.

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes.

Divide half of chocolate mixture among shot glasses or serving dishes. Sprinkle with half of remaining cookie crumbs. Top with remaining chocolate mixture and a final layer of cookie crumbs. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set. Just before serving, top with whipped cream.

*Note: this recipe contains raw or undercooked eggs. We recommend purchasing farm-fresh eggs from a trusted source. If you are uncomfortable consuming raw eggs, you can buy pasteurized eggs in the shell.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burnt chocolate when trying to melt it. I get impatient with the double boiling and try to microwave. It’s a disaster. This chocolate velvet might just be worth it to give it another go with the chocolate melting. Looks amazing!

You must have patience when dealing with chocolate! If you finely chop your chocolate it’ll melt much quicker in a double boiler. Also, have the water already simmering when you put your bowl on top. I’m all about efficiency but there’s nothing worse than ruined chocolate!

Yum! When I was in Tokyo, several years ago, a restaurant we went to had a “buffet” of miniature desserts and I was in heaven. You’ve inspired me to get out my “shot glasses” to make this heavenly dessert. XOXO

This is torture. Your photos were bad enough but your description certainly made it worse. They are drool worthy! Saving this to my NuffnangX favorites and definitely revisiting this recipe when I get the time. I can’t wait!!!

Sure, while the Cointreau gives it an extra specialness that I just love, leaving it out isn’t the end of the world. I might stir in 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract just for good measure, though. ;)

Sure, you could definitely try that! The orange flavor isn’t really obvious in the final product – it’s more of an underlying depth than an apparent orange flavor. But orange and chocolate together? You can’t go wrong with that. :)

This has inspired me to buy shot glasses. My daughter and I are on diets but we need chocolate and this will help us portion a dessert so we can still enjoy something luscious and stay on our path. Thanks.

Sure! The crumbs don’t get so much soggy as they “thicken” the mousse. We were still eating them a few days after making them (although they didn’t last much longer than that!). I’d leave the whipped cream off until just before serving, though. :)

First, Im addicted to those little portion dessert cups. Love them. Will pretty much eat anything in them.
Two wish I had someone baking as many cakes in my family as yours!
Three, you are no where near crazy cat lady. I know a few and you aren’t close yet. Promise. ;)

OMG – what a great way to satisfy the sweet tooth of my daughter, especially in the shot glass so that we don’t eat the entire recipe in one sitting! Or maybe we will, lol. Thanks for a wonderful new recipe.

Thank you, Thank you. I lived in Aspen back in the late 80’s and ate at La Cocina at least once a week. We would order the chocolate velvet at the beginning of our meal to make sure we got a piece. I was so sad when the place closed. I have dreamed about it ever since.

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Welcome to Love & Olive Oil, the culinary adventures of Lindsay and Taylor. We're all about food that is approachable but still impressive, unique and creative yet still true to its culinary roots. (More...)